If you find yourself constantly drawn to an artistic way of life – whether that’s painting, drawing, or performing – you may want to consider an on-campus fine arts design graduate degree program. Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs could help you develop the knowledge and skills to hone your craft, or elevate it to the next level, so that you could pursue your artistry on a professional level. No matter your artistic calling, you could engage with a community of peers to work together to improve your own techniques: possibly benefiting from constructive criticism and new inspiration from each other’s works.

What is “Fine Art?”

What exactly does “fine arts” mean? It’s actually a large, umbrella term that covers a lot of different concentrations. Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs may include some of the more commonly known artistic concentrations (painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.) but it also includes lesser known concentrations like video game design, film, fashion, music, and performing arts.

Perhaps a good way to classify “fine arts” is any degree concentration that aims to produce a product to be enjoyed because of its aesthetic, beauty, or entertainment value.

What Might I Learn in an On-Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Degree Program?

It might be hard to state a general curriculum for Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs because the many fine art offerings. What may be drawn out are general goals that each one seeks to achieve: the development of new, refined techniques, elevation of previous methods, and the ability to incorporate different approaches into students’ forms.

With such a wide variety of Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs offerings, it may only be assumed that there are just as many possible

careers! Depending on your intended Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs, you could possibly pursue some of the following careers:

Museum Curator

Graphic Designer

Fashion Designer

Animator[i]

Professional Musician[ii]

Dancer[iii]

Actor[iv]

Fine Artist[v]

These careers might all see a possible growth in occupations in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics project the following possible growth for the listed careers from 2014 to 2024:

Fine Artist – 2%[vi]

Actor – 10%[vii]

Dancer – 5%[viii]

Museum Curator – 7%[ix]

You may also be interested in these careers’ possible salary – it’s an important thing to consider! The varying nature of the positions makes it difficult to narrow down the field to exact numbers that comprehensively reflect the above industries. However, when taking artists and related workers into consideration, in May of 2015, the median salary was $58,450.[x]

Additionally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, incomes of artists are often tied with the economy – when there is a surplus, people are more likely to make art purchases.[xi]

Which On-Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs may be a Perfect Fit for You?

Fine arts design graduate degree programs may cover the entire gamut of fine arts offerings.With such a wide array of options and degree program types, it gives students a broad range of programs to choose from and address their unique educational wants and needs. If you’re looking for graduate coursework, but not necessarily the extended timeline, you may want to consider pursuing a graduate certificate degree program. If you’re looking for a more in-depth examination of your medium, you might want to hop into a master’s or doctoral degree program. The information is at your fingertips, so read on to take a look at what could be your prospective Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs and graduate degrees!

On-Campus Fine Arts Design Master’s Degree Programs

MFA or MA?

A master of fine arts focuses more on technique development to prepare students for their chosen career profession. These programs focus on specific mediums and the advancement of the skills needed to perform in that medium.

A master of arts may take a broader approach in your fine arts education. These degree programs often focus on a more liberal arts side of a creative education. More often than not, an MA degree programs aims to prepare students for roles as critics, curators, or arts admins by emphasizing scholastic research, analysis, and critique.

From Admissions to Graduation

While it may be hard to narrow down generalities in applications, some common threads in admission requirements may be seen. When applying, students may be required to supply a 2.5 to 3.0 undergraduate GPA. The supplementary materials is where variation often occurs. You may be asked to submit department specific materials such as portfolios, auditions, or performances.

Completion time likewise varies due to the graduation requirements of each degree program. With this in mind, students may expect to complete a degree program in anywhere from 1 to 5 years. Students may also be required to submit a capstone project in order to graduate. This could be anything from a gallery showing, to a recital, to a fully-staged performance.

What On-Campus Fine Arts Design Master’s Degree Program may be Great for You?

With the many facets of fine arts, there’s just as many possible concentrations! No matter where your passion lies, you could find a perfect graduate degree program that tackles just that. You may want to consider some of these Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs degree options:

Master of arts in museum studies degree programs may be great if you’re looking to pursue a career as a museum professional in the future. Programs focus on giving you the knowledge and skills to jumpstart a career directly into the museum field: emphasizing new technological museum enhancements, business models for a changing economic climate, and improving the educational benefits of exhibits.

A master of music degree program splits into two unique factions, performance and education. Performance concentrations focus primarily on the development of musical techniques of a student’s primary instrument. Education concentrations focus on education techniques to teach new instruments to future students. Some common curriculum between the two degree programs may be music theory and history.

The master of science in information technology – game design and development is a developing field that could be filled with new opportunities as the industry continues to grow. Students may hone skills that enable them to jump into the bustling gaming industry by studying programming necessary for development. Students may also engage with subjects such as artificial intelligence, information networking, database creation, and application development.

A master of fine arts in studio art probably aligns with your idea of what constitutes “fine arts.” This degree program aims to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in their intended medium – engaging with new techniques, classical forms, and constructive criticism. Students may be encouraged to present their works in a formal setting as a capstone project to their studies.

On- Campus Fine Arts Design Doctoral Degree Programs

From Admissions to Graduation:

Fine arts design doctoral degree programs may offer a unique opportunity to develop students’ artistic medium to the highest level. Similar to the master’s degree programs, variation between Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs offerings makes it difficult to pinpoint shared generalities between concentrations and their admission requirements. That being said, some overarching admission requirements may be the submission of a 3.0 or higher undergraduate or master’s GPA in addition to GRE test scores. Department specific requirements may vary: students may also be requested to submit portfolios or auditions depending on their specific concentration. Some programs may also require that you have previous experience in your desired field, either through a bachelor’s or master’s degree program. This makes it potentially ideal for students who have already begun to hone their craft as opposed to those who are only newly considering breaking into the industry.

Depending on which concentration, the intensity of the program, and the graduation requirements, you might expect to graduate within 1 to 7 years from a doctoral degree program.

What On-Campus Fine Arts Design Doctoral Degree Program may be Perfect for You?

The doctorate of musical arts degree program is very similar to its master’s degree program counterpart. The degree program is split between several concentrations, like choral and instrumental conduction, music education, and performance. No matter the concentration, students should expect to study high level applications of music history, theory, and technique.

A doctorate in art history degree program could be a great way to prepare to pursue a career as an art curator post-graduation. The goal of these programs could be to develop your knowledge of a particular region or style of art so that you may speak confidently on the subject and provide informative information to clients.

A doctorate of fine arts is a degree program that encapsulates many different mediums under the umbrella term of “fine arts.” This program enables students to practice their intended medium under the tutelage of experienced industry professionals

The doctorate in theatre studies focuses on developing the knowledge and skills actors acquired in an undergraduate environment and adding new skills to their toolbox such as new methods, critiques, and analysis. Programs could cover the history of theatre (Greek, early American, opera, etc.), gender theory, theatre law, and adaption studies.

On-Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Certificate Degree Programs

If you’re looking to make a career change into a creative field, you might want to consider a fine arts design graduate certificate program. Admissions are often more accessible than other graduate degree programs because you may not be required to hold an undergraduate degree in fine arts design or submit additional application supplements. These programs usually require the submission of general undergraduate transcripts for admission.

Since course curriculum may be abbreviated, students could expect to complete the graduate certificate program in around 1 year. Programs vary by school. Some common certificate programs you may find are:

The advanced certificate in museum studies focuses on the knowledge and skills that may be necessary to pursue a career as a museum professional. Courses may focus on giving you practical experience in a museum setting.

A graduate certificate in 3-D animation could be a great choice for students wanting to jumpstart careers as animators. Students could have the opportunity to learn vital skills necessary for 3-D modeling – particularly for the gaming industry. Topics could include lighting, animation surfacing, and special effects compositing.

These are just a few of the many fine arts design graduate programs available. Browse program listings to learn more about your potential options.

Why Pursue On-Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs?

If you’re looking for a more structured course schedule with access to a community of like-minded peers, you may want to consider an on-campus fine arts design graduate degree program. This degree program format could be easier to incorporate into your schedule: weekly class times could make planning other appointments and life events easier. While on campus, you could have access to your fellow students – pick their brain if you have a question about a recent lecture, ask for help with larger projects, or just hang out and relax after a week of classes. Don’t forget about your professors! By attending a physical campus, you could have access to professors’ office hours. Feel free to ask for constructive criticism, advice on your next course of study, or just pick their brain about the industry you’re trying to enter. Besides your education, this could be a great networking opportunity.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so imagine what this article could mean for your future on-campus fine arts design graduate degree program. You’ve just read over a bunch of different degree program offerings – so it’s time to hone the results to your unique criteria! Using the above information as a guide, select your preferred degree program from the drop down menus. Once you’ve settled on perfect Campus Fine Arts Design Graduate Programs, click the program link for more information – or apply! Good luck at finding a perfect on-campus fine arts design graduate degree program today!

University of Kansas

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